5th Grade Trip to Steamboat Arabia

We had a guided tour of the Steamboat Arabia Museum. We learned a lot about artifacts from before the Civil War and how people used to travel in the mid-1800s. Now everyone wants to go on a treasure hunt!

4th Grade: MO Town 1855 Trip

We stepped back into 1855 today. We first heard from a blacksmith and he demonstrated how to make an S hook. Then we split into two groups to tour the rest of the town. We visited a church and heard from the pastor. We also visited the livery stable and met two mules, 1 horse, and a cat. There was also a team of oxen, sheep, and chickens. There was also a tavern. We met some ladies in the settler’s house who showed us some of the common household items in 1855. We also visited a woodworking shop, mercantile, and schoolhouse. We learned a lot about life in 1855.

2nd Grade Field Trip to Penrod's Greenhouse and High Point Arena

First, we went to Penrod’s Greenhouse and learned all about the process a seed goes through to become a plant. We got to see all of the neat equipment they use to make planting easier and faster. We toured all of the greenhouses. Each student took home some rose moss. It likes full sun and low water.  Please wait to plant it outside until after May 10. Then we ate lunch and played at Jesse James Park.  It was quite windy! At High Point Arena the students learned all about how to groom horses. They used both a curry comb and body brush to groom their horses before riding.  Then they learned all about the tack and how it goes on a horse.  Each student got to do at least 3 single rides and one ride with a friend. After that, they gave the horses treats and we got to go see the rest of the horses in the pasture.  We finished with stick horse races and sack races.

5th Grade Trip to UMKC

We had an amazing time at UMKC. We were mainly in the School of Computing and Engineering.  We learned from a professor who taught us about magnetic and electrical fields.  We also learned from a professor who works with quadcopters. He demonstrated how they fly, use GPS, and take video.  We also toured the facilities where students work on competitions. We saw a Baja buggy, steel bridge, and human-powered vehicle that are all used in competitions around the United States. We toured the robotics area but did not see their current competition robot because they were at a competition. We also toured the library and learning center.  They have a Roobot that gets the books from a huge warehouse when students request them. There are hardly any books in the learning center.  It mainly has places to collaborate and use technology.  We finished with a tour of their geology museum and heard from a paleontologist who showed us a mammoth tooth, geodes, minerals, fossils, and a fulgurite (glass that is formed when lightning strikes the ground).  It was a great chance to have conversations and answer questions about colleges.  

The Roobot in the library.

Showing how the computer communicates with the Roobot so it knows which books to pull.

The Baja Buggy they are building for competition.

Walking around UMKC's beautiful campus.

A professor taught us about electrical and magnetic fields.

He dropped shredded paper to show the shape of the electrical force.

You could hold a magnet in your hand and feel the magnetic force.

This wand could be used to show electrical force with the metal ribbon.

UMKC students working on quadcopters.

Quadcopter demonstration.

Students could see the view from the quadcopter's camera.

Geology Museum.  This is a mammoth tooth found near the Kansas River.

4th Grade Lego Transportation Challenge

Today the students did a Lego challenge. They worked with partners to create a fast form of transportation. We had interesting and insightful discussions about how they made decisions with their partner, how their idea evolved as they built it, and how they problem-solved.

3rd Grade Trip to the Puppetry Arts Institute

We enjoyed learning about the history of puppets and how Hazelle Rollins created a successful puppet factory during the Great Depression. The students learned about different types of puppets and different ways puppets were/are made. Then they each chose a vinyl head to use to make their own hand puppet. They were taught how to paint it and then “clothing” was added. We are going to use their puppets to write and perform a puppet show for a younger grade.